My Favourite Books
Here's a rundown of some of the books that have most inspired me. They've not necessarily had any direct impact on the stories I like to tell, but the writing, characters, plots and themes are ones that have stayed with me long after I've finished reading. It's an eclectic mix, no doubt, but who wants to read the same sort of book all the time?
Trainspotting
Irvine Welsh
When I first read this, it was like a literary punch in the face. It had already gained cult status, and the film (which would confirm Trainspotting's place in the culture) was imminent, but as an 18-year-old, about to head off to university, it was like nothing I'd read before; bold, daring, gritty, dark and complex. The characters were flawed - and then some - and the language was unfamiliar but hypnotic, and was one of the first books to show me that the written word was a malleable thing.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
I read this for my English GCSE and, even at school - where enjoying learning was generally frowned upon - the story of Jem, Scout, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson was an impactful one. I'm not sure if it was the impressionable age I was at, or just the simple but powerful story - maybe both - but like many other people, Harper Lee's novel has remained one of my favourite books and one of the few I've read more than once.
Slow Horses
Mick Herron
If you've not yet seen the amazing AppleTV+ adaptation of Mick Herron's novels about dysfunctional spies, then you absolutely should. It's brilliant because it sticks so closely to the fantastically drawn characters and labyrinthine plots of the books. Among a cast of unusual and maladjusted characters, Slough House's head spook, Jackson Lamb, is one of the most slovenly, unlikable, funny and fascinating creations to be put on paper.
Saturday
Ian McEwan
I've enjoyed all of the books of Ian McEwan, but Saturday stands out as one which combines brilliant, insightful and detailed writing with a story that grabs you by the collar and pulls you through the pages. Set across one day, our protagonist, neurosurgeon Henry Perowne, balances thoughts on life, politics, family and more, with a violent and unexpected encounter with a potentially dangerous man. Like all the books on this list, it makes me wish I could write with the author's intelligence and skill.
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman
You couldn't get on a train, sit in a park or certainly enter a bookshop without seeing this cover when it first came out, and with good reason; it's a brilliantly written, tightly plotted story with such lovable characters that you want to return to them time and again. I know some people like to turn their nose up at things that become a bit too popular, but for TTMC, it's popularity is surely due to hitting the sweet spot of relatable characters and page-turning mysteries.
A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman
Like The Thursday Murder Club, Backman's book features an elderly person as it's central character but, unlike TTMC, Ove is not immediately likeable, nor particularly happy. He is, however, an intriguing, layered man, the layers of whom are peeled away as we learn more about him, and witness his relationship with his new neighbours, one that starts off with frustration but soon turns to something else. It's a beautiful and emotive book about friendship and loneliness.